GLAAD Freaks Out As TV Gets Significantly Less Woke Next Season

The activist group GLAAD is sounding the alarm that LGBT character representation on television will drop by more than 40% next season.

The organization’s “Where We Are On TV” report showed that, despite the number of LGBT characters increasing last season to 489, 41% of those characters will not return due to series cancellations or endings, limited series appearances, or being killed off. 

“There is a definite concern that it’s not going to bounce back next year and see a growth just in terms of what’s been announced up to this moment,” GLAAD rep Megan Townsend told TheWrap. “We have not had a ton of announcements or news about new series and returning series within the research period that would make up for some of these losses.”

Townsend also insisted that “inclusive stories resonate with audiences and drive business success” and that “over 84 million American adults say they’re more likely to watch a TV show if it features at least one LGBTQ character.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO and President of GLAAD, was also unhappy with the findings.

“Nearly a third of non-LGBTQ+ Americans say that LGBTQ+-inclusive media has changed their perception of our community,” she said. 

“Today, we are at a critical juncture, with hateful rhetoric running unchecked from politicians and news media and given a falsely amplified platform, even as the majority of this country overwhelmingly supports the LGBTQ+ community. With so many diverse, entertaining and impactful series being canceled at an alarming rate, it is imperative that networks and streamers do not back down.”

While the activists panicked, many social media commenters agreed that the LGBT characters being written off was merely a reflection of what viewers wanted.

“Call me crazy but that’s the free market. If demand isn’t there, characters and shows will be canceled,” one X user said. 

“If you don’t make money, you get canned,” another commenter agreed. “Not rocket science.”